1 Corinthians 12:1–11, King James Version
Italic words were supplied in the English translation for clarity.
1 Corinthians 12:1–11
The One Spirit Gives Diverse Manifestations for the Common Good
One Spirit distributes many workings for the common good.
Paul refuses ignorance about spiritual things. They used to be led to mute idols. No one speaking by the Spirit of God says "Jesus is cursed," and no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except by the Holy Spirit. There are varieties of gifts, services, and workings, but the same Spirit, the same Lord, and the same God. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good: wisdom, knowledge, faith, gifts of healing, workings of powers, prophecy, discerning of spirits, kinds of tongues, interpretation of tongues.
All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each individually as the Spirit chooses. Diversity is the design, not a ranking of Christians. A claimed gift does not prove holiness, governing authority, accuracy, immunity from testing, or a right to money and access. Healings named here are gifts for the assembly's common good, not a medical claim that doctors are faithless or that illness is unbelief. The confession Jesus is Lord is the Spirit's baseline.
How this should shape us
Receive other people's gifts as the Spirit's distribution, not as a scoreboard. Test claims by whether Jesus is honored and the common good is served. Do not pay for access to a gift, and do not treat a healing story as a verdict on someone else's body.
Teach it back
Explain 1 Corinthians 12:1–11 in your own words. Include its place in 1 Corinthians, the unit's logic, one material uncertainty, and one use the context rules out.
Your explanation stays in this browser. It is not sent or saved.
Go deeper
The explanation above is meant to stand on its own. Open these notes only if you want language, history, disagreements, or source locations.
Where careful interpreters disagreeThe strongest options and their difficulties
Where do careful interpreters disagree?
Best judgment: The meaning of 'spirituals,' nature of each gift, cessation or continuation, and distinction between wisdom/knowledge/faith are disputed. The common-good purpose and Spirit's freedom are explicit.
How certain? probableResearch trail and exact locationsThe source record behind this section
Supports: Exact reader-facing Scripture wording, paragraph markers, supplied-word markup, and complete verse coverage.
1 Corinthians 12:1–11, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM corpus
Supports: Greek wording, clause relationships, repeated terms, and original-language discussion.
SBLGNT official text file 1Cor.txt, 12:1–11
Supports: Verse-level syntax, KJV-era wording, textual variants, and interpretive alternatives.
NET Bible 1 Corinthians 12:1–11 print view with translator, study, and textual notes
Supports: Independent morphology and lexical-range cross-check for material Greek claims.
STEP Bible Data repository morphology and lexical records for 1 Corinthians 12:1–11
Supports: Whole-letter movement, Corinthian setting, bibliography, major alternatives, and verse-level interpretation.
Redmond, The Gospel Coalition Bible Commentary: 1 Corinthians, introduction and section on 12:1–11
Supports: Trinitarian gift language, distributed agency, common good, and lexical analysis.
Kukuni, 'An exegetical analysis of 1 Corinthians 12:4-11,' Verbum et Ecclesia 46.1 (2025), complete article, especially pp. 4–7
Sources for This Section
These records identify the source, the claim it supports, and the exact location used. A source remains evidence to evaluate; it does not replace the biblical text.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Exact reader-facing Scripture wording, paragraph markers, supplied-word markup, and complete verse coverage.
Exact location: 1 Corinthians 12:1–11, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM corpus
Open source ↗Greek textual evidence
The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition
Michael W. Holmes, editor; Society of Biblical Literature and Logos
Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software, 2010
Supports: Greek wording, clause relationships, repeated terms, and original-language discussion.
Exact location: SBLGNT official text file 1Cor.txt, 12:1–11
Open the 1 Corinthians Greek text file ↗Translation and textual notes
NET Bible - 1 Corinthians with translators' and textual notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, 2005-2026 online edition
Supports: Verse-level syntax, KJV-era wording, textual variants, and interpretive alternatives.
Exact location: NET Bible 1 Corinthians 12:1–11 print view with translator, study, and textual notes
Open the official NET 1 Corinthians PDFLexical and grammatical evidence
STEP Bible Data
Tyndale House Cambridge
Tyndale House Cambridge, repository snapshot verified 2026
Supports: Independent morphology and lexical-range cross-check for material Greek claims.
Exact location: STEP Bible Data repository morphology and lexical records for 1 Corinthians 12:1–11
Open source ↗modern open commentary
1 Corinthians
Eric C. Redmond
The Gospel Coalition Bible Commentary, 2023
Supports: Whole-letter movement, Corinthian setting, bibliography, major alternatives, and verse-level interpretation.
Exact location: Redmond, The Gospel Coalition Bible Commentary: 1 Corinthians, introduction and section on 12:1–11
Open source ↗peer reviewed open access rhetorical article
Desire Spiritual Gifts That Edify: A Text-Generated Persuasion of 1 Corinthians 14:1-40
T. J. Kukuni
Verbum et Ecclesia 46(1), a3339, 2025
Supports: Trinitarian gift language, distributed agency, common good, and lexical analysis.
Exact location: Kukuni, 'An exegetical analysis of 1 Corinthians 12:4-11,' Verbum et Ecclesia 46.1 (2025), complete article, especially pp. 4–7
Open source ↗